Housebuilder displays Christmas spirit – all year round

Mon, Dec 19th 2005, 11:00

Helping to prove that giving isn’t just for Christmas, house builder Redrow – with over a hundred developments across England, Scotland and Wales - has just retained its Business in the Community (BITC) PerCent Standard for the third consecutive year.

This voluntary benchmark measures the contributions made by companies through cash donations, staff and management time plus gifts in kind.

Only companies that invest at least one percent of their pre-tax profits in the community are eligible to join the PerCent Club and, this year, Redrow is one of 127 UK companies to make the grade.

Between them, these 127 public spirited companies reported community investment worth a staggering £813,880,685.

Julia Cleverdon, CEO of BITC, says: “The Percent Standard is the most widely recognised benchmark of a company’s commitment to community investment. Corporate community involvement not only develops relationships with local communities, it also supports a whole range of business objectives such as building brand familiarity, boosting staff morale, developing skills and generating positive media coverage.”

Redrow is delighted to have retained its membership of this exclusive club, with group marketing director Simon Bennett saying: “More than just a house builder, Redrow is committed to investing in the communities in which it builds, and our support for education, the arts, sport and other community projects, as well as donations to local charities, all help to foster ongoing relationships and to create lasting and sustainable environments.

“Nationally we have sponsored the Redrow Schools Partnership for three years, a unique National Trust project that brings together children from contrasting urban and rural backgrounds to work together on arts-based projects at their local Trust property. Children have forged new friendships, developed new understanding and learned new skills, while working on a diverse range of activities including photography, web design, portrait painting, opera, ballet and story telling.

“We also operate the Redrow Learning Web, an online educational resource for school children all over the UK, with separate modules for primary and secondary school pupils; whilst our Buster the Bear health and safety mascot is a champion for keeping children safe and sound.”